By: Elise Tecco, Blog Editor and PR Coordinator
The pandemic has affected all aspects of Penn State, from no football games to virtual classes, to restaurants closing downtown and social distancing on campus.
But what happens to those students whose courses depend on getting up on stage to sing and dance and act for an audience?
I explored this question last semester when I interviewed performers and professors for a podcast as part of a class called COMM 362, an introductory podcasting class taught by Professor Katie O’Toole. For my podcast titled “Singin’ in the Rain,” I talked to a student in the school of musical theatre, along with other staff members and the head of the program, about how the pandemic affected them, as well as how they were able to rise above their challenges. In a major that requires singing and dancing together in person, COVID certainly required flexibility and creative approaches.
Listen to the podcast: “Singin’ In The Rain”
Podcast Preview
Becca Suskauer, who is a senior musical theatre student, tells us in the podcast how she and her fellow classmates relied on one another to get through this challenging time.
I feel like we’re just there for each other, and especially now more than ever, we have to be there for each other. Because this is hard on all of us… artists are suffering.”
Video of Becca Suskauer as Vivienne in Legally Blonde at Penn State Centre Stage in October 2018
Professor Kikora Franklin, a dance professor, talks about her experience teaching a virtual African American dance class with drums and other live music. She also provides her thoughts on how the future of theatre is changing.
“When [a performance] is recorded, is that still theatre? Are we still making theatre? Or is it changing the very definition of what we are doing because now it’s recorded or over Zoom… I think it has its challenges but it also has its possibilities.”
Professor Kikora Franklin / Photo from arts.psu.edu
Professor Gwendolyn Walker, a singing coach, describes her own difficulties with coaching voice lessons virtually. She notes that while they have done their best to adapt to the changing times, nothing can replace being together in person.
Professor Gwendolyn Walker / Photo from arts.psu.edu
I’d say that the biggest thing I missed, and the hardest part for me, is that there is literally an electrical energy that is exchanged in the room when we are making music together.”
Becca, Professor Franklin and Professor Walker are a testament to how much work the students and staff put into their roles.
Lastly, I spoke with John Simpkins, who is the head of the entire musical theatre program. His passion and dedication to the field are admirable. In the podcast, he conveys his pride in the program and all the people who helped it not only survive, but thrive through all of the challenges of the past year.
Photo of John Simpkins / Photo from arts.psu.edu
Listening to this podcast, you will not only learn about the innovative ways the students and staff adapted, but you will learn about what makes Penn State’s musical theatre program in particular so special. You will learn about the importance of diversity in theatre, how mentally and physically draining this major can be, but most importantly, you will learn that this past year has not hurt these individuals. In fact, John Simpkins explains that it has made them stronger.
This pandemic has shown me the fortitude of their resilience.”
Teaching the Art of Podcasting as Storytelling
If you are interested in podcasts or have always wanted to create your own, I highly recommend taking COMM 362.
Professor Katie O’Toole / Photo from StateCollegeMagazine.com
Podcasting, Professor O’Toole tells me, is one of the fastest-growing sources of news, information and storytelling.
The course aims to provide experience in each of these areas while also introducing students to the challenges of making their own podcasts and contributing to an ongoing podcast,” she says. “As the course also fulfills credit toward an ENTI (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) minor, students also learn the basics of how to pitch a podcast to potential funders as well as strategies for monetizing a podcast.”
O’Toole recommends that students have completed COMM 360 or just have a working knowledge of audio production before taking the course.
Speaking personally, this class taught me so much. I learned the ins and outs of what exactly makes a good podcast, how to pitch an idea, create my own graphic, find music, edit and so much more. It’s also allowed me to speak with others and learn about their incredible stories, something both myself and Klio value greatly.
Podcasting is all about making connections and telling stories — something that we humans have programmed into our DNA. COMM 362 is guided by the belief that everyone has a story to tell, so we focus on honing skills that help to draw those stories out, shape them, and share them. Essentially, we’re doing what our primitive ancestors did around a fire at night thousands of years ago…we’re just doing it on a twenty-first century platform,” says O’Toole.
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Listen to more podcasts and music on Klio here!
Elise Tecco is a junior studying digital and print journalism with a minor in English. Elise has always had a passion for storytelling, whether it’s through the books she reads or the words she writes. Elise is a writer for VALLEY Magazine and has written over 40 web articles and 4 articles in print. She is also the president of Ed2010, a professional networking club that allows students to meet people in the editorial and creative field. Elise worked at her local bookstore over the summer and is currently interning for a New York literary agent. She loves nothing more than spending time with her family, listening to podcasts while walking outside, and spending a cozy night playing board games and watching her favorite movies. Someday, she hopes to work for a book publishing company and maybe even write a novel of her own!
published 4-9-21